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The Pit Bull StereotypeFor many, just hearing the word pit bull instills a
sense of fear. Their first thought is of a vicious
musclebound dog with locking jaws that will
suddenly turn on you for no reason. Nothing could
be further from the truth. Many people have
become unnecessarily afraid of these wonderful
dogs because of negative media and
stereotypical rumors passed along between people.
Some say pit bulls will just “snap” all of a sudden and
attack. The fact of the matter is that these dogs are actually very loyal, friendly, intelligent animals that love to please people. Properly raised pit bulls truly adore their human companions and will do anything to please them. Pit bulls, because of their high intelligence are also easily trainable. Pit Bulls make great pets and are even used by Police as bomb sniffing and drug sniffing dogs as well as rescue dogs. They are also used as service dogs for people with handicaps and because of their loving and affectionate nature are also used as therapy dogs to treat patients. The name "pit bull" is actually more of a generic term and not actually a breed. Many may also have heard the term Blue nose or Red nose pit bull, also a generic term not a specific breed. Blue nose and Red nose is more about the
dogs color than breed as these dogs are actually a Staffordshire
or American Pit Bull Terrier with a blue or red color. Another term for a pit bull is
a brindle pit bull. These are beautifully colored dogs usually with
tiger like shades of brown over a white, black or tan coat and are
very popular. There are different types of "pit bulls",like
the American Pit bull Terrier, the Staffordshire Terrier, the American
Bulldog or the Bull terrier, just to name a few. These dogs when
normally bread and raised in a loving environment are great
companions and are quite affectionate and playful and are also great
around kids. Many may remember the TV show "The Little Rascals",
"Petey" the dog was a pit bull. Some may also remember the
beer commercial with the dog "Spuds Makenzie" a bull
terrier, another type of "pit bull". Buster Brown shoes also
used a pit bull as their mascot as did RCA, the RCA Victor dog known as "Nipper", a bull terrier-fox terrier mix. During WW2 pit bulls were a representation of dignity and strength to the United States. Many well respected people like Franklin Roosevelt and Thomas Edison had pit bulls for pets, even Helen Keller owned a pit bull named Sir Thomas. Positive Pit Bull Press

Popular Breed Pit bulls have become very popular and that has
actually caused problems for them. Breeding for profit or for fighting is a major problem. Fighting pit bulls and overpopulation of pit bulls is a major cause of these dogs being put down by animal shelters. Many animal shelters will put down pit bulls first simply because they are pit bulls. There are even cases where animal
shelters have put down all the pit bulls in their facility after a
pit bull attack on a human. The Humane Society estimates as many as one million pit bulls are put down each year, a sobering statistic. The fortunate ones may end up in a rescue center and some will find good homes, but many will not. Some people just simply hate these dogs because they
are pit bulls. This is basically animal bigotry. Yes, there are BAD
pit bulls, but because one is bad does not mean they all are. Many of these dogs are
killed just simply because of their reputation. Pit bulls are sometimes adopted because it is "cool" or "macho" to own one and then they end up not being raised or taken care of properly. These dogs may then end up causing trouble because of irresponsible owners, thus furthering the negative stereotype associated with the breed. Often times people will adopt a pit bull puppy because they are so cute when they are little and then when they grow up the dogs may
become a hand full for them. Some people don't have the time or want to spend the time with these highly energetic dogs or be responsible dog owners. They may then end up bringing the dog to a shelter or the dogs may be passed from home to home. In some cases homeowners with pit bulls may find their homeowners insurance will not cover such dogs or may even drop their insurance if it is learned they have one. They may decide it is easier to just get rid of the dog. Some cities are trying to pass laws to outright ban the breed and even the military has gotten into the act by banning pit bulls from their military housing. Some dogs may escape or are even sometimes abandoned by uncaring and heartless owners and of coarse there are the irresponsible breeders and dog fighting rings. There are many reasons these beautiful dogs end up in bad situations and are euthanized or worse, tortured and made to suffer, so it is especially important that people make their decision to adopt carefully, adopt for life and be responsible pet
owners.

Socialization and Training

Pit bulls are very high energy and need to have a
social life and be properly trained. These dogs require a lot of
attention. They need to be played with and taken for walks or they
may get into mischief like chewing things up, digging or jumping over fences. These dogs, besides being high energy, are also social creatures and need a lot of attention and need to be around people and be properly socialized to keep them happy. Leaving any dog, particularly a pit bull, alone in the back yard for most of the time and just feeding it and walking it now and then can lead to behavioral problems
and for some this may be too much to deal with. Sometimes the dogs escape by jumping the fence because they become bored or unhappy. Socialization and obedience training should start at an early age. Properly socialized and trained pit bulls are very well behaved and make great family pets. These dogs are incredibly intelligent and train easily and are very eager to please people. They must also be walked and played with on a regular basis to burn up some of that pent up energy. Pit bulls love to chase things do to their terrier instincts which makes doing things like chasing a ball or Frisbee a great game for them. Going to dog parks, although a great way to burn energy and may be fun for them is probably not a good idea. Some pit bulls may do quite well at a dog park and get along well with other dogs, but if suddenly exposed to an aggressive dog, may lead to trouble. Also, dogs for the most part, are "pack" animals and a dog park is full of strange packs of dogs, who may be fine individually but sometimes a "pack" mentality can take over and gang up on an individual dog. probably not something you want to happen to a pit bull as its fighting instincts can take over and it will defend itself. It is best to have a group of dogs that are familiar with each other to play with rather than being exposed to a potentially dangerous situation for everyone involved. Dog on dog aggression, while may not be apparent with some pit bulls, exposing a dog friendly pit bull to aggressive dogs may bring out aggressive tendencies due to the terrier genes bread into them. Pit bulls love to play and there are many games you can play with them. Sometimes they will even make up their own games. Pit bulls can be great fun and make wonderful, loyal and loving companions. These dogs may look like big brutes but are actually very affectionate and even like to cuddle up with people. Pit bulls, properly raised, cared for and trained are just incredibly great dogs and make great pets as long as people are responsible. All dogs have characteristics inherent to their breed and pit bulls are no different. Responsibility means understanding where this breed came from and what it was unfortunately bread for originally. It also means properly training them, socializing them and providing a positive experience to those less understanding of this breed. Lets help others recognize, a dog is a dog, no matter what their breed.